It’s that time again!

For one spectacular weekend this spring, Henry W. Coe State Park will again open the gate at Bell's Station on Highway 152 east of Gilroy. The Coe Backcountry Weekend, held in the little-traveled east side of the 87,000 acre park is scheduled for April 24-26, 2009. This event, sponsored by the Pine Ridge Association and the California Department of Parks and Recreation, allows visitors vehicle access to a remote and beautiful area. Hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians have a unique opportunity to see and enjoy an area isolated from the park's Morgan Hill entrance by long distances and rugged terrain.

The east side of the park has beautiful spring wildflowers, great fishing, and scenic trails, some with breathtaking panoramic views of the Diablo Range. The ridges and valleys are broader and easier to travel than the steep terrain in the western part of the park, and you can plan day trips to areas that normally require several days of strenuous backpacking, places like Mississippi Lake and the Orestimba Wilderness.

During the weekend, you can explore on your own or you can participate in group activities, such as guided hikes and horseback rides, wildflowers walks, and bird watching strolls. To help you make the most of your visit, we'll provide brochures, park maps, and all sorts of information at visitor booths near the Pacheco Creek crossing, County Line Road, and the Orestimba Corral.

The fees for entering the park on this special weekend are:

• one day (either Saturday or Sunday), $20 per vehicle;
• two days with camping overnight on Saturday, $40 per vehicle;
• BACKPACKERS ONLY, $50 per vehicle for two nights of camping (Friday and Saturday).

There is no limit on the number of people in a vehicle. Carpooling is encouraged.

Entrance is by application only, since we limit the number of cars each day.

Backpackers:  If you are selected for the Backpacker only option, you will be allowed to enter on Friday afternoon between 1 and 6 PM. You will register at the Bells Station entrance gate for your backpacking destination, and park anywhere along the Kaiser Aetna Road between Center Flats Road and County Line Road.

The gate will open for all others at 7:30 am on Saturday and Sunday. As always, everyone must be on their way out by 5 pm on Saturday or 5 pm on Sunday. Only those people camping overnight Saturday at the Orestimba Corral will be allowed to drive that far. Everyone else will park on the Kaiser Aetna Road. The popular shuttle will be running between a location near your car and the Orestimba Corral.

For more information, select one of the following:
	Day users: people coming in for the day only on Saturday or Sunday
	Car campers: people staying overnight Saturday night and camping near their vehicle
	Backpackers: people hiking into the backcountry to camp
	Horse campers: people staying overnight Saturday night near their horse trailer. Extra long horse trailers are restricted. For more details watch this page.
Visitors can take advantage of the free shuttle service along Kaiser-Aetna Road.

Each year, a contest is held to select a photo for the commemorative Backcountry Weekend T-shirt. This year, the theme is “The Four Seasons of Coe Park”. There were so many wonderful photos submitted that there will be TWO choices for shirts this year: photos of SCENERY and photos of WILDLIFE. Check the links to see mock ups of the pictures.

If you have general questions about the Backcountry Weekend, send them to:  coebackcountry@verizon.net.

Or, call the park office at (408) 779-2728.